So close and yet so far
by inkyfingers999
Summary: "A young girl, about the same age as the boy, was running in the his direction, fiery red hair tumbling freely about her shoulders with every footfall. If the Auton had had a heart, he was sure it would have skipped a beat. If he had had difficulty bringing himself to move before, it was utterly impossible now."


Disclaimer: I OWN DOCTOR WHO! Weelll. Not...officially...but you know. In my dreams.

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A young couple talked together happily as they rested beneath a tree. A few children, just released from Leadworth Elementary for the day, were horsing around on the sidewalk a short distance away. An elderly man ambled by, his dog walking obediently beside him, matching his leisurely pace. Rory Williams leaned back against the Pandorica, eyes vacantly scanning the area now and then, observing the passers-by with no particular interest. Nothing new to see. He found it ironic that he had ended up here, of all places, after so long. He had been faithful to his duty for nigh onto two thousand years now, guarding the precious stone box with his life. A year, a period of time that had once felt like an eternity, now felt like nothing in comparison to the vast expanse of history his life now spanned. And yet, as the end of this excruciatingly long wait drew nearer, the days seemed to drag on for far too long, his anxious mind and heart growing increasingly impatient. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, imagining that he was out in the sunshine like any normal human being would wish to be on a day like this.

At the sound of a woman's angry voice coming from nearby, his eyes snapped open and he sat up straighter. Glancing around he found the source to be the sidewalk running alongside the elementary school. There, four young boys, perhaps eight or nine years old, tried to look cool while a middle-aged woman, who looked beyond exhausted already, scolded them harshly. Though her back was turned and he did not hear all of her speech, he clearly heard the words "crude and immature," "you should be ashamed of yourselves," and "this had better not happen again. As she finished up her lecture by threatening to call their parents, she shooed them away down the sidewalk. The children slunk off, talking amongst themselves and trying to act as though nothing had happened.

When they had gone, the teacher moved to face another boy, one Rory had not noticed before. He looked to be about a year or two younger than the others, and considerably smaller. His plain blue shirt was muddied from the damp round, and his glasses rested crookedly on his nose, which looked to be too large for his face. With a sympathetic smile, the woman, who Rory could only assume was a teacher at the school, asked the boy if he was all right. In reply, he stood up as tall as his scrawny frame allowed, nodding vigorously. She rewarded him with a genuine smile. "There we go, there's a good boy," she said approvingly. "Now, you tell me if this ever happens again, all right?" He nodded again, and with an affectionate ruffling of his messy hair, she strode off to go about her day.

At that moment, Rory froze. He knew who that boy was, knew all too well. Why the possibility of this happening had never occurred to him, he would never know. He was in his home town, after all. In the back of his mind, he knew he should do something, get out of sight somehow, just in case, but he couldn't. He could only stare, slack-jawed, as the scene unfolded before him.

"Rory!" Both the young boy and the plastic centurion quickly turned to the source of the sound. A young girl, about the same age as the boy, was running in the his direction, fiery red hair tumbling freely about her shoulders with every footfall. If the Auton had had a heart, he was sure it would have skipped a beat. If he had had difficulty bringing himself to move before, it was utterly impossible now. "Are you all right?" she asked anxiously, coming to a halt in front of her friend.

Little Rory quickly wiped a trace of blood from his nose. "Of course," he replied bravely.

"Just ignore them. They're just stupid kids."

He grinned. "Yup." He reached down to pick up his textbooks, and she instantly moved to help him.

"You going home from here?" she asked.

He nodded. "I have to get started on my chores."

The girl looked disappointed. "Oh."

Not wanting her to be upset, he quickly added, "But that shouldn't take too long."

Instantly the smile reappeared on her face. "You wanna play time travellers when you're done?" Her expression was eager, and she bounced happily on her heels. A stray hair flopped into her face, and she swiped it away carelessly.

"I'll ask my mum."

"I'll come to your house in two hours. See ya!" Before he had a chance to protest, she had started running off, blue rain boots pounding the ground and splashing mud up behind her as she went.

With a sigh, little Rory gathered his things in his arms and started off towards home, glancing back over his shoulder as he went.

As both children disappeared from view, his older self sighed as well, staring after Amelia. Not too much longer. He closed his eyes and turned to rest his forehead against the cool stone. Just eighteen more years to go.


End file.
